Meeting of the Board of Regents | December 2009
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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
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TO: |
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FROM: |
John B. King, Jr. |
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SUBJECT: |
Charter Schools: Proposed Second Renewal Charter for Genesee Community Charter School |
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DATE: |
December 4, 2009 |
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STRATEGIC GOAL: |
Goals 1 and 2 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
SUMMARY
Issue for Decision
Should the Regents approve and issue the proposed renewal of the charter for Genesee Community Charter School (Rochester)?
Background Information
We received a request from the Genesee Community Charter School (“the School”) for a second renewal of its charter. The School’s initial charter was granted by the Board of Regents in November 2000 for a period of five years. The School submitted its first renewal charter application in June 2004, which was renewed for five years. In December 2006, the Board of Regents approved a revision to the School’s charter allowing it to modify its enrollment to a maximum of 210 students. The School is now requesting a second renewal for five years, commencing on July 1, 2010.
Staff recommends that the Board of Regents approves and issues a second renewal charter to the Genesee Community Charter School and extend its provisional charter for a term of five years, commencing on July 1, 2010, up through and including June 30, 2015.
The Rochester City School District held a public hearing on June 24, 2009, regarding this proposed renewal application. No comments were made or received during the hearing. The Rochester City School District made no comments.
Recommendation
VOTED: That the Board of Regents approves the renewal application of the Genesee Community Charter School, that a second renewal charter be issued, and that its provisional charter be extended for a term up through and including June 30, 2015.
Reason for Recommendation
(1) The charter school described in the proposed charter meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) approving and issuing the proposed charter is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) approving the proposed renewal will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school.
Timetable for Implementation
The Regents action for Genesee Community Charter School will become effective on July 1, 2010.
New York State Education Department
Summary of Charter School Renewal Information
Summary of Applicant Information
Name of Proposed Renewed Charter School: Genesee Community Charter School (“the School”)
Address: 657 East Avenue, Rochester, New York 14607
Board of Trustees President: Lyle E. Beach
Renewal Period: July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2015
District of Location: Rochester City School District
Charter Entity: Board of Regents
Institutional Partner(s): Rochester Museum and Science Center
Management Partner(s): N/A
Grades Served per Year: 2010-2011: K-6
2011-2012: K-6
2012-2013: K-6
2013-2014: K-6
2014-2015: K-6
Projected Enrollment per Year: 2010-2011: 224
2011-2012: 224
2012-2013: 224
2013-2014: 224
2014-2015: 224
Renewal Application Highlights
Evidence of Educational Soundness/ Attainment of Educational Objectives
- For the School’s performance on State assessments, see Attachment 1.
- The Genesee Community Charter School (the “School”) has exceeded both the Rochester City School District and state averages on New York State assessments, and has met AYP each year since the School’s opening in 2001.
- A Comprehensive School Review, conducted by an outside reviewer, indicated that the School has a high level of academic achievement, including the consistent use of best practice teaching methodologies.
- The School is the lead school in the Arts at the Core: Using Integrated Learning Expeditions to Promote Achievement, a United State Department of Education grant.
- The School’s exemplary practices of integrating arts into the core curriculum have been nationally recognized and adopted by other schools.
- The School is one of only two schools nationally to have received the designation “highly implementing” by Expeditionary Learning, which has invited the School to host a Site Seminar for the past five years.
- The School has used differentiated instruction within its Expeditionary Learning/Outward Bound (EL/OB) model to address the needs of all learners. EL/OB is infused throughout the School’s instructional strategies, curriculum design, assessment methods, traditions and routines, and overall school culture.
- Learning expeditions comprise the core of the instructional program, in depth studies of topics that lead to an ambitious final project, such as creating a book, staging a play, creating a working model, and/or performing content related service. Examples of topics include prehistoric life, the solar system, Seneca life, the American Revolution, and immigration.
- The School has met its academic goal of “90% of students will achieve a high 2 or above on the New York State exams” on 90% of the exams given in 2007-08.
- The Board in its entirety, and through its committee structure, has provided guidance and assistance, leadership and sound advice to the School’s staff.
Evidence of Fiscal Soundness/Projected Fiscal Impact
- The School has been the recipient of funds from a variety of sources, including private donors, the State Education Department, and the federal government.
- The School has received a clean, unqualified audit each year of its operation, and no material weaknesses have been found.
- The School has maintained a positive cash balance at the end of each school year.
- Fiscal controls and financial management practices have been reviewed by both the auditors and the Board Finance Committee and been found to be adequate and effective.
- The potential fiscal impact upon the District is represented below. Note that these projections are based upon several assumptions, which may or may not occur: that all existing charter schools will also exist in the next five years and serve the same grade levels as they do now; that the charter schools will be able to meet their projected maximum enrollment; that the District’s budget will increase at the projected rate; that the per pupil payment will increase (and not decrease); and that the per pupil payment will increase at the projected rate.
Projected Fiscal Impact of the Charter Schools on the
Rochester City School District
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School |
2010-11 |
2011-12 |
2012-13 |
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
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Eugenio Maria de Hostos CS |
.50 |
.51 |
.51 |
.53 |
.53 |
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Genesee Community CS |
.35 |
.36 |
.36 |
.37 |
.37 |
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Rochester Academy CS |
.47 |
.56 |
.57 |
.58 |
.58 |
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True North Rochester Preparatory CS |
.47 |
.48 |
.49 |
.49 |
.50 |
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Urban Choice CS |
.61 |
.62 |
.63 |
.64 |
.65 |
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Total |
2.40 |
2.53 |
2.56 |
2.61 |
2.63 |
Evidence of Parent and Student Satisfaction and Community Support
- A public hearing to solicit comments from the community in connection with the charter school’s proposed renewal was conducted by the Rochester City School District on June 24, 2009. No public comments were made or received. No comments were made by the Rochester City School District.
- Parent satisfaction surveys for the 2005-06 school year, the 2006-07 school year, and the 2007-08 school year showed results of “satisfied or very satisfied” for 95.9%, 95.3%, and 93.3% respectively.
- Less than 7% of students have left the School in any year, mostly due to families’ relocation.
- The School has been fully enrolled each year, with lengthy waiting lists.
Attachment 1
2007-2008
Grades 3-8 State ELA and Math Assessments
Percent of Genesee Community Charter School Students at Levels 3 – 4
Grades 3-8 ELA
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% at Level 3 |
% at Level 4 |
% Proficient |
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Grade 3 |
64 |
35 |
99 |
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Grade 4 |
84 |
3 |
87 |
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Grade 5 |
85 |
4 |
89 |
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Grade 6 |
87 |
10 |
97 |
Grades 3-8 Math
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% at Level 3 |
% at Level 4 |
% Proficient |
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Grade 3 |
35 |
65 |
100 |
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Grade 4 |
68 |
19 |
87 |
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Grade 5 |
63 |
11 |
74 |
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Grade 6 |
66 |
28 |
94 |
* Due to statistical rounding, percentages may exceed 100.
2008-2009
Grades 3-8 State ELA and Math Assessments
Percent of Genesee Community Charter School Students at Levels 3 – 4
Grades 3-8 ELA
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% at Level 3 |
% at Level 4 |
% Proficient |
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Grade 3 |
75 |
16 |
91 |
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Grade 4 |
83 |
10 |
93 |
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Grade 5 |
80 |
13 |
93 |
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Grade 6 |
79 |
4 |
83 |
Grades 3-8 Math
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% at level 3 |
% at Level 4 |
% Proficient |
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Grade 3 |
63 |
34 |
97 |
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Grade 4 |
67 |
30 |
97 |
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Grade 5 |
63 |
30 |
93 |
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Grade 6 |
63 |
33 |
99 |